“They have a job to do as well but I felt it was very harsh, in a game of that magnitude. I think it was maybe the linesman called it. It was for a strike to the head – I felt it wasn’t to the head, that was my view.”

“Listen, the footballers in Donegal are as good as any county in the country. It’s just getting that belief. The past 10 years we started believing in Donegal and started to push on, and it’s going down to club level.”

Neil McGee and his club-mates are the first Donegal club to win the Ulster title since 1975.

“Kilkenny hurling had hit a bit of a wobble the last couple of years, so the junior (Dunnamaggin) and intermediate (Graigue-Ballycallan) teams winning yesterday and the senior team winning now is a good bonus for the lads.”

Kilkenny club hurling is in rude health and Henry Shefflin is now switching his focus to Ballyhale Shamrock’s All-Ireland Club semi-final date with Ballygunner.

“I've no doubt we'll see him in a couple of years at inter-county level. Without a doubt. I'd say he has his eyes on that, even in the back of his mind maybe. It's his first year and he has a Leinster final medal which is huge.”

“From an outsider’s perspective, it might have looked like a poor showing at times. But we kept at it. Those lads will be devastated now.”

Ballyboden boss Joe Fortune had no complaints following the final whistle in Netwatch Cullen Park.

“I don’t think the scoreline was a fair reflection of things. Our late goal put daylight between us, but it was nip and tuck the whole way.”

Graigue-Ballycallan captain Darragh Egan was fulsome in his praise of Portlaoise following Saturday's Leinster Club IHC decider.

“We have to make the best of the opportunity in front of us. We might never get another chance.”

Selector Tom Hickey and Dunnamaggin have set their sights on All-Ireland Club JHC honours.

“I always felt that there was a big performance in this St Enda’s and they certainly delivered it against which I reckon is a very good Mullahoran side. We will enjoy Christmas but we won’t take our eye off the All-Ireland ball.”

“He reminds me a bit of Donald Trump. He has a huge ego, he understands how the media works and he's good for a soundbite to keep himself relevant. But, personally speaking, I wouldn't have him within a million miles of a Kerry team.”

“For the most part, everyone working in here is involved in their club, and doing stuff in clubs. So we're the same as everyone else but we have to marry not just one perspective - you've got to marry an awful lot of them.”

GAA director-general Tom Ryan refuted claims that the powers-that-be have lost touch with the grassroots.

“Over a distinguished lifetime of unselfish service, Sheamus epitomised everything good about the Association and about making a contribution that would always be for the betterment of the GAA and for the benefit of many.”

GAA President John Horan led the tributes to former Leinster Council chairman Sheamus Howlin from Wexford who sadly passed away over the weekend.